Screen stencilling machine, rotary type



June 1961 J. A. BLACK SCREEN STENCILLING MACHINE, ROTARY TYPE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR L zzmes A. B ladli Filed July 14, 1958 ATTORNEY June 6, 1961 J. A. BLACK 2,986,995

SCREEN STENCILLING MACHINE, ROTARY TYPE Filed July 14, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .12 l w my I a I u I I INVENTOR hjizzzzcs A lilac'fi I I i i E I United States Patent" 2,986,995 SCREEN STENCILLING MACHINE, ROTARY TYPE James A. Black, Kent, Mich. (572 Division Ave. S., Grand Rapids, Mich.) Filed July 14, 1958, Ser. No. 748,360 8 Claims. (Cl. 101-123) The present invention relates to screen stencilling machines.

The primary objects of the invention are to provide a screen stencilling machine which is especially adapted for screening coating material onto articles to produce relatively small inscriptions or designs such as trademarks, titles, company names, part numbers and the like, and particularly onto articles of irregular shape which cannot be fed through conventional automatic stencil screen presses for printing on fiat or sheet stock; to provide such a stencilling machine which is semi-automatic in operation; to provide such a machine which can readily be installed on conventional work tables or benches, or which can be incorporated in a portable unit suitable for convenient transport from job to job; to provide such a stencilling machine in which the stencil may quickly be removed and replaced with a different stencil; and in general to provide such a stenciling machine which is simple and economical in construction and eflicient in operation.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a work table having the new stencilling machine built therein;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of a portion of the work table and the stencilling machine;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view thereof taken on line 3-3 of FIGURE 2, the squeegee element of the machine being shown in different positions in full, dotted and broken lines;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional View of the same taken on lines 4-4 of FIGURES 2 and 5;

FIGURE 5 is a vertical sectional view of the same taken on line 5-5 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a portable case having the new stencilling machine built therein.

Referring now in detail to these drawings, the work table 10 shown in FIGURE 1 has a rectangular opening 11 in the middle of the table top 12 in which opening is mounted a rectangular stencil frame 13 desirably made of wood and having a stencil screen 14 of silk or fine wire mesh secured to the upper surface thereof as by means of staples or a suitable adhesive. A metal box 15 is fastened to the underside of the table top 12 beneath the stencil screen by means of angle brackets 16 secured as by screws 17 to the box 15 and by screws 18 to the table top 12. Other screws 19 removably secure the stencil frame 13 in position in the table tops opening 11, said screws 19 extending through the stencil frame and being threaded into the brackets 16.

A shaft 20 extends through the upper part of the box 15, being journalled in opposite side walls of the box. A block 21 is keyed on the shaft 20 by means of set screws 22, and a rubber squeegee 23 is secured to the block 21 by means of screws 24 passing through a plate 25, through elongated apertures 26 in the squeegee 23, and threaded into the block 21. The elongation of the apertures 26 in the squeegee 23 permits adjustment of the squeegee on the shaft 20 relative to the stencil screen 14.

A housing 27 is secured to one side wall of the box 15 by means of rivets or screws 28, and an electric motor 29 disposed in the housing 27 is operatively connected to the shaft 20. A camwheel 30 is secured by means of a set screw 31 on the shaft 20 between the box 15, and

Patented June 6, 1961 a plate 32 secured to the box by means of screws 33 having spacer collars 34 thereon. As best seen in FIG- URE 4 the camwheel 30 is operatively associated with i lead wire 43, manual switch 40, Wire 44, motor 29 .and

return wire 45. Another electric circuit-a timing circuit-includes lead wire 46, leaves 38 and 39 of the cam-operated automatic switch, wire 44, motor 29 and return wire 45.

Operation Unstencilled articles such as the bowls 59 shown stacked on the table at the right in FIGURE 1, are placed one by one on the work-supporting table top 12 above the stencil 14 for marking. After each article is placed in position the operator depresses the manual electric switch button 41. This completes the starting circuit above described, energizing the motor 29 to rotate squeegee 233 in a clockwise direction as seen in the drawings. The operator keeps the button 41 depressed until the high shoulder 52 on the camwheel 30 (see FIGURE 4) elevates leaf 39 into contact with leaf 38 of the automatic switch. The timing circuit then takes over and the motor continues energized through one complete revolution of the squeegee 23. The circuit is interrupted to stop the motor upon the completion of one revolution when the leaf 39 of the automatic switch again falls into the low part 53 on the camwheel 30.

The starting position of the squeegee 23 is as seen in full lines in FIGURES 3 and 5, with the squeegee extending downwardly into coating material 54 in the lower part of box 15 which constitutes a reservoir for the coating material. During the print stroke of the machine the squeegee 23 carries a quantity of the coating material with it, forcing the material upwardly through the stencil screen and onto the article 59 placed on the stock-supporting upper surface of the table. Stencilled articles 55 are shown stacked on the table to the left in FIGURE 1.

The stencilling machine can be installed in any suitable element having the required opening therethrough, such as the table 10 seen in FIGURE 1 or the portable case seen in FIGURE 6. Among the advantages of this stencilling unit are its extreme simplicity, its adaptability for stencilling small inscriptions on articles of various sizes and shapes, the ready removability of the stencil frame 13 for replacement or for replenishment of the coating material in the reservoir or box 15, and the fact that the coating material is completely enclosed in the box 15 so that its solvents do not readily evaporate.

While but one specific embodiment of the invention has been herein shown and described it will be understood that numerous details thereof may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as the same is defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a screen stencilling machine, in combination with a table top or the like having a flat, stock-supporting upper surface and an opening therethrough: a stencil frame having a stencil screen thereon and mounted in said opening with the stencil screen substantially flush with the flat upper surface of the top; a squeegee mounted on the underside of the top for revolving movement intermittently passing across the underside of the stencil screen to effect a print stroke at one phase of each complete revolution of the squeegee during which phase coating material is forced upwardly through the stencil screen and onto stock placed on the stock-supporting upper surface of said top, and automatic means for intermittently passing said squeegee across the underside of the stencil screen to effect said print strokes.

2 A screen stencilling machine according to claim 1 in which a reservoir of coating material is secured to the underside of the top in such relation to the squeegee that the squeegee dips into the reservoir during a different phase of each revolution of the squeegee.

3. A screen stencilling machine according to claim 2 in which revolving movement of the squeegee is effected by an electric motor included in a circuit which also includes means for manually starting the motor and means for automatically stopping the motor after one complete revolution of the squeegee.

4. In a screen stencilling machine, in combination with a'table top or the like having a flat, stock-supporting upper surface and an opening therethrough: a stencil frame having a stencil screen thereon and mounted in said opening with the stencil screen substantially flush with the flat upper surface of the top; a box depending from the underside of said top beneath the stencil screen, the lower part of the box constituting a reservoir for coating material; a squeegee mounted in the upper part of the box for revolving movement in which each complete revolution clips the squeegee into the coating material and passes the squeegee across the underside of the stencil screen to eifect a print stroke during which coating material is forced upwardly through the stencil screen and onto stock placed on the stock-supporting upper surface of said top.

5. A screen ,stencilling machine according to claintA.

in which the squeegee is mounted on a shaft journalled in opposite side walls of the box.

6. A screen stencilling machine according to claim 5 characterized by having a housing secured to one of the side walls of the box, said shaft extending into said ho'using, and, an electric motor disposed in the housing and operatively connected to said shaft.

7. A screen'stencilling machine according'to claim 6 characterized by having a manually operable electric switch secured to the underside of the top and provided with an operating button extending through to the upper,

side of the top, and an electric circuit including the motor and the switch whereby the motor may be manually started.

8 A screen stencilling machine according tocl aim 7 characterized by having a second electric switch mounted:

adjacent said shaft included in said circuit, and a camwheel on the shaft operatively associated with said second switch f r automatically interrupting said electric circuit upon the completion ofone revolution of said shaft.

References Cited in the are of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

